Mission Accepted: Percabeth AU (HoO)✔️

The Village

Photo by Olivier Collet on Unsplash 

"Oh look, more hills," Barns comments as we reach the top of a grassy hill, the sun setting in a perfect array of warm colours.

We haven't stopped running from the headquarters but have eventually slowed into a walk. Katie and Thalia informed me of Jade's location, and we are to find her house safely for tonight before making it to a certain road for them to pick us all up the day after.

My heart beats quickly and I stop to catch my breath, looking out over the hills. The distance is disheartening but I steel myself, wincing against the sharp headache and a searing pain in my side. I blacked out the second I stopped rolling, and Barns carried me with him and Agent Buckly, sprinting away. I only awoke thirty minutes later, not having time to rest – only to run.

My body feels so sore, everything hurts. My feet ache, my stomach cramps and my head pounds so hard I have to blink rapidly to keep from my eyes watering. Squinting against the brilliant sun, I inhale, "I don't want to be out here for the night, let's keep moving." I adjust the case I hold.

Barns acknowledges me, "Why don't you contact your invisible friends?"

He gives a fair point, so I tap my earpiece to check in, "More hills, can't see anything in the distance – just the bloody sun."

Thalia is the one who responds, saying, "You should see a village on the horizon by this point."

My breath stalls in my mouth, "But – but I don't it's all just hi – " I stop, twisting around to look around me and see the faint structures across the way to my right. "There is it." I point frantically for Barns and Agent Buckly to see, and watch more hope grow in their eyes upon spinning around on their heels.

They shout and we begin running in the direction. Over the wind, I briefly hear Thalia saying, "Tell me when you get there."

"Roger that," I yell, a smile breaking over my face. Safety. My heart swells with relief.

The run to the village could not be any longer. My joints crack and groan, protesting me but I ignore – determined to get there. With the launch codes secured tightly in my arms, the names and information and damage of the headquarters – might give me a fighting chance to take down the Northern Rebels once and for all.

The smoke from cooking drifts into the air, the buzz of society able to be heard now and smells other than fresh grass and chilly wind come into our senses. I force myself to concentrate, my head pounding harder now and my eyesight focusing and blurring. I've pushed myself to my limit.

The cobbled streets slip under our feet smoothly and we stumble throughout the streets. "Street," I rasp to Thalia.

"Slcafani."

"Look for Sclafani street," I relay to the men.

They nod swiftly, ignoring the horrified looks from villagers. I limp around them, a woman's mouth hanging open at the dirtiness on us and look of death hanging off us. The houses sit in nice formations, occasional stores spouting in places. I scan the street signs, the descending darkness creating it to be harder each time.

"Sclafani!" Barns exclaims.

Agent Buckly says gruffly, "Good idea, shout it out for everyone to hear."

"Shut your smart mouth Buckly," Barns shoots back, already moving down the row of houses.

A smile crests Agent Buckly's lips and I refrain from smirking at the new friendship between the two. We both follow Barns down the street, trying to catch up with his fast-moving feet and eyes looking at every house.